In full activity and of projects and ideas, even in the middle of a pandemic, Thalía disembarks in the world of streaming with her first reality show, in which she shows behind the scenes of her next song with the singers Sofía Reyes and Farina. It is an explosive encounter between generations at a time when Latin music is at the top of the musical rankings around the world and that has the Mexican singer as one of the most requested artists, even when she has already turned three decades career. "It is a very special moment on the planet, in which women finally began to have the recognition that we did not have before," she told LA NACION exclusively.
The singer and actress was the one who dreamed of Latin Music Queens, a docu-reality that premieres on September 24 on the streaming platform Facebook Watch and that will have new episodes every Thursday, at 10 P.M., until the October 29. Along with her is her fellow Mexican Sofía Reyes - the most listened to on Spotify globally, who has accumulated two billion views on YouTube - and the Colombian Farina, the most popular female voice of rap in Spanish today.
For Thalía showing her life on social networks is nothing new: in recent years she has become one of the most popular stars on Instagram, with 16 million followers, thanks to home videos -which tend to be used for memes- in which it is informal and fun.
The diva spoke exclusively with LA NACION about how Latin Music Queens thought out, how the pandemic affected the production and what she feels has changed in the world of music since she started.
How was this project born and how was the meeting of this trio so diverse and at the same time so current?
A long time ago I had such an idea spinning in my heart. It was an idea that I had a couple of years ago, then I come down on a documentary and that when it got into the hands of Facebook Watch... they loved it! This is how Latin Music Queens was born, which began to record first only with me. At that time I was working with Farina on a song, I told her about the project and she immediately joined in and when Sofía Reyes came across the cameras and all the paraphernalia that followed Farina... she also wanted to be part of it! It was all very organic and it happened naturally.
What caught your attention about Farina and Sofía Reyes?
Without a doubt their energies! This series wants to be a testimony of the power of women in the world of music. It is a way to satisfy the curiosity of those who wonder what is behind the process of creating a song. They will see us as artists at our best: expressing the best in a recording studio, including anger, joy, happiness, tranquility, crying... all together! They will see us as friends, as sisters, as mothers... they are forms and aspects that have never been seen.
And how did the Covid-19 crisis affect Latin Music Queens?
We were in the middle of production when the pandemic happened and each one had to go home, but that did not stop us: we continued recording and communicating. We resume with all security measures and care. It is a coming and going in which there have been some very rich and important conversations about love, childhood, issues that can rarely be touched. I hope that those who see Latin Music Queens discover three women who are very hardworking, but also very vulnerable. Hopefully they can see the same on us. I think that is the strength of Facebook Watch because people are going to be able to get involved, share, live with us in those episodes.
Do you feel that the cycle will have a gender perspective?
It is a very special moment on the planet, in which women finally have a voice and vote, we begin to have the recognition that we did not have before. I think that we discovered that we can all be a platform to cement the others and give us support, with an undeniable force. I think shows like these show the support networks that we have between us and that it can be very powerful.
How do you feel the world of music changed for a woman?
In comparison to other decades, I think it is not only more accepted today that singers make collaborations and are creating music and movements telling what they live or what they feel. Before the culture of "featuring" was not so present, but each one went their own way. Today is a lot of union and I love it. I think these fusions also occur in genres. Today we can say that "urban" songs are the new pop and it is very generous because bachata, regional Mexican, dance... You can merge everything and at the same time invite you to collaborate with all musical genres.
So you would say that it is not so difficult to be a woman and a Latina in the world of music?
Well, no! I think that today we are dominating the rankings, our music is taking over the world. They finally gave us the freedom to use our language, our culture, our society. Check out today's most popular songs: they all include Spanish! They call us to do collaborations and that's great. If we compare this moment with other "Latin explosions", things changed a lot: before we had to sing in English, now they have to sing in Spanish. And that's great.
How do you feel in this new setting?
Very happy! I always felt the need to inspect different musical genres: I sang in French when I did my version of Le vie en rose, I sang boleros, I rapped with Arrasando, I made a band record, I tried R&B with Fat Joe, I sang jazz with Tony Bennet and Michael Bublé, I did bachata with Romeo... I was always curious and I was always able to explore music from different angles because I like it. I like to grow and I am blessed that my audience, who has followed me from day one, gives me the ease of being able to do all my crazy things... That is fantastic!
What do you think the future of music will be like after this pandemic?
I don't know if anyone knows! Right now everything is stopped, we are all readjusting to this new way of living, right? These are not days to plan a lot. We'll see what happens when we find a vaccine or find a good medical protocol. I tell my friends that it is like water: if it falls out of the jar, it can no longer be collected and returned. I do not think that the pandemic will end soon, but that we are going to adjust and when I take care of myself, I take care of you and when you take care of yourself, you take care of me. We are no longer alone, we go in a group, in a horde to take care of ourselves.
And what do you think your next steps will be, after Latin Music Queens?
We are in the middle of a pandemic and we are dreaming up projects, but I am going step by step, without haste. Unlike other pandemics that have hit humanity centuries ago, today we have so many comforts and benefits. If I'm bored, I pick up my phone and I can watch Latin Music Queens; or if I'm hungry, I use it to order pizza... if I'm lonely I can use it to watch and chat with my family. As long as one can produce things so that others feel better, more positive, they are seeds for change. For now I only think about that...
